Thailand Seeks to Grant Amnesty to People Who Surrender Illegal Firearms

Thailand’s Interior Ministry has finished preparing an amnesty bill for illegal firearms owners and will shortly submit it to the cabinet for approval, ministry spokesperson Traisuree Traisaranakul announced yesterday.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin urged the government on February 5 to explore into exempting persons who surrender unlawfully held firearms from penalties. The goal is to reduce the ownership of illegal firearms and gun violence.

Ms Traisuree stated that Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had signed off on the bill, which was then submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat for inclusion on the meeting agenda.

This is the eighth amnesty bill for illegal handgun ownership. The most recent came from the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in 2014.

The new measure requires the owners of illicit firearms, ammunition, and imitation weapons to turn them over to the local registrar within 120 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette.

The arms will subsequently become state property, with the Interior Ministry in charge of storing and/or destroying them. Owners will not face any possession-related charges.

According to Ms Traisuree, illicit firearms were involved in at least 83% of incidents between 2012 and 2023. Imitation guns, especially self-made and illegally modified ones, have also become more prevalent.

“Arrest and suppression will not fix the problems. Other steps must be implemented concurrently to hasten the decrease of social consequences of gun violence,” she stated.

According to her, the measure also intends to promote public trust, which will benefit economic stability, tourism, and investment.

“Gun regulation is regarded as a critical problem for public safety. Ms Traisuree stated that these procedures will help to minimise the number of firearms in the system in a short period of time.

Illegal Firearms in Thailand

Illegal guns are an increasing concern in Thailand, prompting widespread attention and calls to action. With tight gun laws in force, unlawful firearm possession can result in severe consequences, including jail and large fines.

The proliferation of improvised firearms with diverse calibers complicates Thailand’s gun problem. Despite efforts to restrict firearms, the spread of illegal weapons threatens public safety and security.

The spread of illegal firearms in Thailand is a major concern for law enforcement officials. These firearms frequently end up in the hands of criminal organisations, fueling violent crime and endangering public safety. The availability of such weaponry fosters a sense of insecurity and undermines efforts to maintain community harmony.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of illicit firearms in a variety of criminal activities, including armed robberies and gang-related violence. The widespread availability of these weapons endangers public safety while also undermining the rule of law, making it critical for authorities to address this issue aggressively.